European Kingdoms

Northern Europe

Courland (Kurland) / Kurzeme

The Couronians, or Kurshes, were a Baltic tribe which lived on what is now the
north-western corner of
Latvia,
immediately to the south of the
Estonian island of Saaremaa,
and to the west of the powerful
Samogitians. By the twelfth
century the people of both Saaremaa and Courland had built up a strong seafaring
tradition and were actively involved in raiding to the west.
Denmark's irritation
at such attacks on its territory resulted in several retaliatory attacks against
the Balts.

According to Henry of Livonia, writing his Chronicle at the start of the
thirteenth century, a lesser tribe called the Vindi also inhabited territory in
Courland. They were clearly non-Slavic or Balt in nature and their name is preserved
in the River Windau (Latvia's River Venta), with the town of Windau (the Latvian
Ventspils) at its mouth. At the start of the second millennium, there are two
countries or people occupying this region, called Ventava (the Ventspils area) and
Vanema to their east. There seems to be little doubt that these were the northernmost
remnants of a Belgic people called the
Venedi who once dominated the entire eastern
bank of the Vistula.

(Additional information from The History of the Baltic Countries (see
the Sources
page for Northern Europe).)

650

By now Swedes
have established the stronghold of Seeburg (near modern Grobina) in
Courland. This is succeeded by a trading post which survives until the
beginning of the ninth century, when the invaders are defeated by the local
population.

c.750

As mentioned by the Norna-Gests þáttr Saga, the king of the
Swedes,
Sigurd Ring, fights off a heavy raid by Couronians and
Kvens into the
southernmost region of Swedish lands.

853

The Danes
launch a campaign against the Couronians. However, as part of the feared
'Eastern Vikings', the Couronians fight the Danes in a sea battle, defeating
them and enslaving half their number.

c.866 - 894

Lokeris

Couronian leader.

1070

The chronicle of Adam of Bremen reports the existence of a church in Kurland,
erected by a merchant as early as the second half of the eleventh century.
The monk Hiltinus is appointed bishop to the Baltic by the archbishop of
Bremen in about this year. The mission can hardly be considered a success,
however, as Adam's two-year mission ends in his death.

1187

The 'pagans of the Eastern Sea' (Estonians
of Saaremaa,
Couronians, and Zembs of
Prussia)
conquer Sigtuna, the most important town of the
Swedes,
which they then burn down. The Swedish Eric's Chronicle of 1335
blames the Finnish Karelians for the attack. More recently, Professor Kustaa
Vilkuna has suggested that the raid is in revenge for Sigtuna's merchants
having intruded upon Kven
fisheries on the River Kemijoki and the hunting grounds of the
Karelians. The medieval naming of a settlement in the village of Liedakkala
by the River Kemijoki as 'Sihtuuna' may be additional confirmation of this.

c.1200

The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a clearly
non-Slavic tribe called the Vindi (German Winden, English Wends). They live in Courland
and Livonia,
clearly the northernmost remnants of the
Venedi. The tribe's name is preserved
in the River Windau (in Latvian this is the Venta), which has the town of Windau
(the Latvian Ventspils) at its mouth. It is also preserved in Wenden, the old name
for the town of Cēsis in Livonia.

c.1200 - 1230

Vesthard

Semigallian leader.

fl 1230

Lamikis / Lammechinus

Couronian leader.

1230 - 1234

King Lamikis signs an agreement which accepts Christianity into Couronian
territory. In 1234, a Dominican monk by the name of Engelbert is appointed
the first bishop of Courland. The bishopric of Courland is formally declared
in 11 February 1232.

fl c.1250

Sabe

Semigallian leader.

fl 1281

Nameisis

Semigallian leader.

Prince-Bishops of Courland (Kurland)AD 1232 - 1561

The Northern Crusade saw the Danes secure all of North
Estonia by force,
while the rest
of the Baltics underwent the same process from the south. What is now
Estonia and Latvia quickly
came to be governed by
German prince-bishops in Courland,
Dorpat,
Ösel-Wiek, and,
governing the heart of later Latvia, the prince-bishop of
Riga. The
Livonian Knights conquered the rest of Latvia and central Estonia.
The captured territory between Danish Estonia and
Lithuania became known as Livonia.
The district of Grobin (Grobina) was ceded to the Livonian Knights. Records regarding the prince-bishops
can sometimes be a little sparse.

During this
period, important ethnic changes took place among the Baltic peoples. Within
the confines of
Livonia, the fusion of the kindred Latgals, Sels and Kurshes
(Couronians) into one people took place, emerging as the Latvians of the
future. They took that name from the most numerous of the Baltic peoples in
Livonia, the Latgals (Letti, or Letten). The Kurshes preserved their
unique ethnic identity longer than most, being mentioned as a separate
people as late as the sixteenth century.

Bauskas Castle was built by the Livonian Knights in Courland
between the rivers Musa and Memele and was first documented in
1443

1260 - 1290

With the Livonian Knights
being severely defeated at the Battle of Durbe in
Livonia
in 1260, the bishop leaves
Courland and only re-enters the territory in 1290 following the
successful suppression of serious Couronian and Semigallian insurgencies (in
1267 and 1272 respectively). However, in that year the cathedral chapter is incorporated into the
territory belonging to the
Teutonic
Knights, resulting in the bishopric being
subject to the Order.

Bishop Dietrich of
Dorpat
hates the Livonian Knights
with some intensity, so much so that he forms a coalition against the
Knights with
Lithuania, Mecklenburg and the notorious Victual Brothers who are Baltic
pirates. The Knights invade the bishopric but achieve no success. In the end
their lack of results removes from them the right to demand military service
from the
Livonian bishops.

Following
Russian
provocation and the conquest of
Dorpat, the Livonian Wars
erupt in the Baltic States (between 1558-1583). Following the dissolution of
the Livonian Knights
and the acquisition of
Livonia
by the
Lithuanians, the bishopric of Courland falls into Danish
hands. In 1562, it too is acquired by Lithuania
and reformed into the duchy of Courland & Semigallia under Lithuanian
suzerainty.

Duchy of Courland & SemigalliaAD 1562 - 1795

The Livonian Wars took place in the Baltic States between 1558-1583, but the
wars ended in 1561 for the
Livonian Knights.
However, their last grand master became the first duke of Courland under
Polish suzerainty, and the knights retained their vast estates in the Baltics.
North Estonia
surrendered voluntarily to the
Swedes. Southern
Estonia and the rest of
Livonia
fell to
Poland-Lithuania.
In 1562, the
German prince-bishops
sold off the last of their territory in Estonia and Livonia, including the
bishopric of Courland, which was attached to the territory of the
Semigallians under Lithuanian suzerainty, although some coastal districts
of Courland had already been given away to the duchy of
East Prussia.

Medieval Semigallia is better known today as the Zemgale region of
Latvia. For the most
part it is formed of flat land, largely devoid of uplands and deep river
valleys, and boasts one of the most fertile grain fields in Northern Europe,
something that has ensured the prosperity of the region for many successive
centuries. The region was prosperous, which allowed the building of many
luxurious manor houses and castles, one of which survives today - the
Baroque masterpiece that is Rundāle Palace. Jelgava Palace, which is
also located in Zemgale, housed the dukes of Courland and Semigallia. It is
largest Rococo-style palace in the Baltics and today contains the castle
museum.

Courland has officially remained a possession of the Danes
until now, when it is sold to
Poland-Lithuania.
Upon the death of Gotthard Kettler, the duchy is divided between his two
sons. Friedrich owns the eastern section, Semigallia (Zemgale), from his
residency in Jelgava (Mittau). Wilhelm owns the western section, Courland (Kurzeme),
from his residency in Kuldiga (Goldingen). Wilhelm regains the Grobina
district when he marries the daughter of the duke of
Prussia. He also pays to regain control over the Piltene district.

The former Bauskas Castle of the Livonian Knights had a
Mannerism style residence built into the forepart in 1596 by the
duke of Courland

1587 - 1642

Friedrich Kettler

Son. Rules Semigallia, eastern Courland.

1587 - 1616

Wilhelm Kettler

Brother. Rules Courland, western section of the duchy.

1605

The
Swedish
king initiates the First Polish-Swedish War by assembling troops in
Tallinn, but the war starts badly with several attacks failing,
including one on Courland in 1605.

1616

Wilhelm is removed from his seat by his overlord, the king of
Poland-Lithuania
after he expresses his disappointment with the hostile landowners in the
duchy. Friedrich inherits Wilhelm's lands and reunites the duchy.

1642 - 1682

Jacob Kettler

1655 - 1660

Swedish
troops enter the duchy in 1655, triggering the Second Polish-Swedish War. Duke Jacob is captured by the Swedes in 1658 and held for the
duration of the war. That war ends when
Livonia is
officially ceded to Sweden following
Poland-Lithuania's signing of the Treaty of Oliva.

Sweden fights
Russia,
Poland and
Denmark in the Great
Northern War. It is ended with the Treaty of Nystad by which time Russia has
already gained much influence in Courland.

1711 - 1737

Ferdinand Kettler

Former regent.

1711 - 1737

Former regent Ferdinand Kettler resides in Danzig and is therefore declared
ineligible. The duchy is left without a ruling duke, although a large number
of potential candidates put themselves forward to replace the Kettlers. Anna
Ivanova, upon her accession to the
Russian throne, places her own candidate
in Courland.

1737 - 1740

Ernst Johann Biron

Exiled upon the empress' death.

1740 - 1741

Ernst Biron is exiled by the new regime in St Petersburg but continues to
claim to rule. The landowners ignore him and the king of
Poland-Lithuania
announces his son, Carl, count of
Saxony,
as the next duke. This means the duchy has two simultaneously reigning
dukes. To resolve the situation, Russian Empress Catherine II recalls Ernst
Biron from exile in 1763.

With the Third Partition of
Poland-Lithuania,
the duchy of Courland ceases to exist. The duke is happy enough to
relinquish the title in return for rewards from
Russia.
The territory is merged with that of Russian Kurzeme and Zemgale regions of
Livonia.

Russian Governors of CourlandAD 1795 - 1915

The captured territories were divided by the
Russian
empire into three
Baltic Provinces: Courland,
Estonia and
Livonia. In 1801-1809 and from 1819 onwards supreme authority was vested
in a governor-general who was based in Riga, but at other times the
provinces were governed independently. Pilten was a division of Courland
created by the bishop of
Riga
in 1234. It changed hands several times, being exchanged between Denmark
and
Poland-Lithuania,
before being unified with Courland in 1661. Despite
Swedish
and Russian occupations, it essentially remained united with Courland and
was fully incorporated into Courland by Russia in 1796, its previous
autonomy being abolished.

1795 - 1796

Peter Ludwig Freiherr von der
Pahlen

Governor-general of Courland and Pilten.

1796 - 1798

Gustav Matthias Jakob von der
Wenge

First governor of Courland.

1798 - 1800

Carl Wilhelm Heinrich von der
Osten

1800

Overall authority in Courland is handed to the governor-general of the
Baltic Provinces.

Napoleon invades the
Russian
empire with one of the largest armies Europe
has ever seen, occupying the Baltic States for several months until he is
forced to drag his
French-led
army back to Germany. Russian control of Courland is immediately restored.
The French administrators of Courland are shown in red.

1812

Jacques Étienne MacDonald

French commander.

1812

Jules de Chambaudoin

French intendant, 1 Aug-8 Oct.

1812

Charles de Montigny

French intendant, 1 Aug-8 Oct.

1812

Jacques David Martin

French governor-general, 8 Oct-20 Dec.

1816 - 1824

Emannuel von Stanecke

Acting governor, Jan-Feb 1816. Full governor thereafter.

1824 - 1827

Paul Baron von Hahn

1827 - 1853

Christoph Engelbrecht von Brevern

1853

Aleksandr Petrovich Beklemishev

Acting governor, 10 May-14 Jun.

1853 - 1858

Pyotr Aleksandrovich Valuyev

1858

Julius Gustav von Cube

Acting governor, 10-21 May.

1858 - 1868

Johann von Brevern

1863 - 1880

The January Uprising results in a policy of Russification. It spreads from
Latgallia to the rest of what is now
Latvia.

The position of special
plenipotentiary for the civil administration of the Baltic Provinces of
Livonia,
Estonia
and Courland is created, but the following year the
Russian governors are forced by defeats in the First World War
to withdrawn to Tartu in
Estonia.

Jelgava viewed shortly before the destruction visited on it in
the Second World War, when bombing raids destroyed all but the
palace in the foreground and a few churches

Thanks to
Russian First World War
defeats of 1916 and 1917, the Baltic provinces are conquered by
Germany
between 1915 (Courland) and 1918 (Estonia), much to the relief of the
German-descended land-owning aristocracy. In 1918, the Baltic provinces are
formally transferred to German authority by Russia following the Treaties of
Brest-Litovsk and of Berlin, and Courland becomes part of the subsequent
republic of
Latvia.